Wind, Willows and Wildmen, 1
by piperific
Summary: Murdock gets some help in the VA, and repays the debt
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes:

-My first publication, R and R invited.  
-I kept the outside character nameless on purpose, let me know if it works  
-implied, past sexual violence  
-regular fisticuffs violence in the story

I do not own the A-Team, nor _Wind in the Willows_

.-.-.-.-.

"Jesus, H, you look like hell." She sat opposite him in the lounge.

"I thought you were supposed to be here to help, what kind of help is that supposed to be?" He smiled at her anyway. Murdock was sitting sideways in an easy chair, feet up on one arm and knees under his chin. He had been filling time looking out the window at the drizzle and smog. She was the first non-patient to really look at him all day. It made him realize that he was still in pajama bottoms and a stained shirt. His hair was wild and his face hadn't seen a razor in days. He felt exhausted.

"When was the last time you left the building?" As he couldn't remember the answer, he let his gaze swing back to the window.

"I am a rock, I am an iiiiiiiiiiiisland." he crooned quietly. She sat for a while with him, looking out the window.

"Billy must be desperate for some fresh air..." he continued to sway to the music in his head. "desperate for a bit of movement and exercise..." he began to itch a bit and squirmed in his chair. "... to pee on the trees and bark at the squirrels..." he couldn't get comfortable. Hanging his head back to look at her up-side-down, "Yeah, peeing on trees really is a great way to spend an afternoon." She grinned at him and standing, offered a hand to help him up.

Despite a fifteen minute search, Murdock could not find a cleaner shirt in his room. The hair he covered with his hat and he felt, a little bit, like his regular self. The jacket will cover the stains he thought.

The VA did have lovely grounds, though it was a lousy day. Thick with smog and drizzle, but at least it wasn't crazy hot. Hot and humid always made him feel worse. Billy enjoyed the time out, he had to admit. She pet him a couple of times, but mostly seemed to forget about the dog as soon as they went outside. Planes flew overhead. He stopped to look up at everyone, no matter how high up.

The lawn was empty and Murdock began to feel like the two of them and the dog occupied the whole place all alone. His posture straightened, his nose rose a bit in the air. He imagined himself with a fancy cane and a tweed jacket. "Of course it would be better to be shooting pigeon." he said in a thick english accent. "How very unfortunate that this hotel does not have the facilities." He was walking more briskly now, stepping high and proud.

"Oh, I agree," she said, "the colonies just do not have the same standard of recreation."

"Ever since the rebellion, everything has gone downhill here."

"We should have gone to vacation in Canada perhaps, at least they still know who the Queen is." She took his arm like a lady for a stroll with some aristocratic gentleman, "She's on their money there of course." He nodded sagely at that and they proceeded on their second circuit of the grounds.

Billy was nagging at him to pee. Looking slyly to his side, Murdock disengaged his arm and tried to look casual walking toward the nearest tree. His companion continued on, affecting her own dreadful accent.

"Here, they don't remember their roots." She continued on. Hearing no reply, Murdock saw her pause, then turn to look back.

"H, what are you doing!" She looked desperately over her shoulder and around. "They'll think I approve of this you know." He just grinned and sighed dramatically as the stream of urine fell against the tree.

"Peeing on trees was your idea after all." His grin widened at her look of dismay. She ran towards him, trying to block any view of him by standing in front.

"Put that thing away!" She hissed over her shoulder. In the distance a groundskeeper started a mower. "Someone will see."

"Wouldn't want me to soil my only clean pair of pants. Just be a second now." He tried to slow the flow to make the moment last. "Guess I shouldn't have had that third cup of coffee." He giggled as she swung her head back and forth looking for potential witnesses. "Or, was it four?"

"Finish. Finish now!"

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He swung towards her letting the dying trickle swing toward her cuffs.

"Damn, you." She jumped out of the way, her eyes were wide with shock, but her mouth was open with laughter. "You didn't!"

"Oh, I think that will be answered tonight when you undress." She grabbed his elbow and pulled him away from the tree. Away from the evidence. They giggled their way back to the building.

Once back inside, a weight seemed to return to his shoulders. Although his companion was still grinning and trying to wipe her cuffs on the door jam, Murdock wasn't smiling any more. "I wish I could just at least nap." he moaned.

"Why not, you got something scheduled?" She nudged him with her arm. "Busy man today?" He shook his head and looked down. Ignoring her he moved toward his room.

"No," she pulled at his sleeve, "don't go back there H. Lets do art or something, anything. Just don't go back and stare at the walls." He stumbled as she held on to his jacket. Reaching out for the railing saved him from going all the way down. Now she was pulling up trying to keep him standing.

"Allright, maybe a nap is a good idea." With her support he managed to make his way back. The bed was rank and cold. How many nights? How little sleep? "Are you having trouble sleeping?" He turned to look at her. He was having trouble even saying what it felt like, how much he dreaded sleep. What he saw when he closed his eyes. "It always helped when someone read to me." she said. "I don't want to sleep. I don't want to see those things, I can't stop them when I'm asleep..."

"You need to sleep H, you can't just not sleep." She was looking in from the edge of the doorway. He looked at her, then away. His mouth twisted and and he grimaced, fighting down the tears.

"I don't want to, I can't. Stay here, keep me awake. Keep the dreaming away." Her eyes shone in the neon light. He reached a hand toward her. "Stay..."

"H, I can't. I can't come in. They'll can me. I'm not allowed." He felt a tear slide down. Ashamed he turned to the wall, curled into a ball. There was a pause, she didn't cross the threshold. "Wait here, just wait okay." He didn't move, just stared at the wall.

"Okay, okay. I'm back. Just... just listen." She began to speak in a level, soothing voice.

_The Mole had been working very hard all the morning, spring-cleaning his little home. _

"I told you, I don't want to sleep!" he groaned from the bed.

"Its alright H, I won't leave. I'll keep reading, even after you sleep. You'll keep hearing the story and thats what you'll dream about." He rolled over to look at her through the open door. "I'll stay as long as I can, and I'll keep reading."

_First with brooms, then with dusters; then on ladders and steps and chairs, with a brush and a pail of whitewash; till he had dust in his throat and eyes, and splashes of whitewash all over his black fur..._

He felt his eye lids sliding down, his head relaxed into the pillow. Her voice started to fade away, with a start he twitched back. "I can't hear you." he whispered. "Come here, come in please." He itched and ached with the need to sleep.

"I can't H, I can't." She looked around, up and down the hall, into the room. "Will the bed move." He shook his head. Not since he and Face had used it to break the window to escape. It was bolted down now. She pursed her lips, "Pull your mattress over here then, can you do that?" It wasn't much of a mattress, thin and vinyl coated, he moved over to the door and lay down with his head at the threshold to the hall.

_Spring was moving in the air above and in the earth below and around him, penetrating even his dark and lowly little house with its spirit of divine discontent and longing._

Irresistibly, he felt himself sinking into the mattress. His eyes closed and his breathing slowed. Twice he twitched awake with a start, anxious about what was coming. The third time his body and mind gave in and he drifted away hearing only her words,

_It was small wonder, then, that he suddenly flung down his brush on the floor, said `Bother!' and `O blow!' and also `Hang spring-cleaning!' and bolted out of the house without even waiting to put on his coat..._

"...there is nothing - absolute nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats..." he murmured the words before even waking entirely. With a sigh Murdock stretched and arched his back, arms flung out. Ahhhh, to wake he thought. To wake without a holler or a scream. What an ecstasy that is taken for granted by so many. He yawned and rolled over, the mattress harder than usual for being on the floor. She sat slumped against wall. Her neck was bent at an uncomfortable angle, she twitched a bit then settled again, asleep. She was prettier when asleep, a bit anyway. Without her brow furrowed in concern or biting her lip from worry. Too serious he thought, she needs to lighten up.

Trying to be quiet he rose and shuffled to the bathroom. This time he looked directly in the mirror. The hair was a mess, needed cutting what was left. But, the bags looked diminished and his colour seemed better. Humming "Wake up Little Susie" he started the electric shaver and began tidying up.

"NO!" he heard a yell from the hall. Dashing to the door he saw her twitch and squirm. She moaned and twisted against the wall. Loosing balance her body slumped into the doorway. He stretched out and grabbed her shoulders before she hit the floor. WIth a start she bolted awake, eyes wide but unseeing. "Don't touch me." Skittering away down the hall on her ass she kept shouting "Don't, get away." Murdock backed into his room, panicked. He waited, three, four seconds. Peeking around the corner he saw only her back and she rushed away. In her rush she nearly collided with a familiar figure in an unfamiliar delivery uniform carrying a box.

"Somebody piss on her cheerios?" Face asked, winking at Murdock. "C'mon, I got a spare uniform in this box, we're getting out of here."

"Rightio Faceman, ready to go." he shut the door quickly, pausing only for a brief glimpse down to the hall.

"You already shaved," Face said, "good, that saves time."


	2. Chapter 2

"You're back, H." she leaned against the wall opposite his door. Murdock looked up from the paper he was folding. He smiled, but didn't get up. She slouched awkwardly, shifting a bit.

"I just couldn't keep away, the nurses weep and wail if I'm away too long. This place falls apart when I'm not here to keep things going. I've been back for two whole days. Where were you?"

"Oh, taking a break, up at the farm."

"You left your book." He pointed to bureau by the door. He left it there so she could get it without having to come in.

"Keep it." she waved a hand.

"I finished it." Switching to a nasal British voice,'O bliss! O poop-poop! O my! O my!'" he called loudly

"'O STOP being an ass, Toad!'" She responded with a laugh.

He finished his last fold. "Take it. You might need it again." With a practiced flick, the paper airplane looped once and floated through the door. "And someone to read it to you." he said, noting her sallow skin and dark eye circles. She stooped to pick up the plane. It was elaborately made, wings carefully curled to make the loop happen. She aimed it back, but it stalled at the top of it's circle and fell half-way between them.

"Yeah, maybe." She let herself sink against the wall till she sat on the floor.

"What happened?" He walked to the doorway, but stopped before leaving. She looked away, over his shoulder.

"They were let out." "Let out, who?"

"The guys that, well that, that attacked me. It was after that that I couldn't keep the anxiety, the depression at bay. Thats when I started coming here for treatment." She sighed and looked at him then, "It was a few years ago, but the cops screwed up on some paper work, their warrant doesn't look valid upon closer inspection. There are accusations of excessive force. They were in jail, but the lawyers have appealed and now they're out." She sucked air through her teeth. "Out and pissed off."

"Pissed off at you?"

"I think so, I'm afraid so. I don't know what to do. The police are afraid to get too involved. They've promised to cruise by when they can, but because they've been implicated, they want to keep a distance."

"What are you going to do?" "Dunno. Get a dog maybe." "Yeah, a really big dog." "Mean looking."

"Black."

"Scary." "But nice to you and your friends." he said.

She shook her head, "Know any dogs that meet that description?"

He fixed her with a squinty, level gaze. "Just maybe I do..."


	3. Chapter 3

BA shook his head darkly. "That lock won't do no good if the window can be broken." He crossed his arms over the gold chains and looked down at the woman working on her door. "You need to get some bars."

"I'm sorry, who are you." She stood quickly and backed away.

"If you're worried about me, you shoulda closed that door right in my face and thrown the bolt." He ran a hand down the door frame. "Course this is nearly rotted out. You need new wood here, or better yet some steel. A brace would help until that can get installed. Your lock is only as good as the frame it attaches to." Her brow furrowed and she continued to back away. Quickly her hand flashed into the closet and came out with a rifle. A little .22. She fitted the stock to her shoulder and aimed it at his head.

"I would like you to leave now."

"Hey, hey, hey! Whoa Mama, what is going on here!" Murdock jumped between the two and waved his arms. "Don't let this big mudsucker scare you, he's on our side." He opened his arms with fingers spread, smiling but eyes wide. "Remember, big, black, scary, but nice to friends." He backed up and swung an arm around BA's shoulder, "thats just what I brought." "I thought you meant a Rottweiler. Who is he?" She lowed the gun and put it back in the closet. Murdock patted BA's shoulder and moved his head next to BA's.

"This is my very good friend Mr. Bad Attitude Baracus." BA growled and Murdock jumped back smiling nervously, "You may call him BA. I promise you he is fully house-trained." Looking over his shoulder Murdock said absently, "Van is getting ticketed BA."

With a last scowl BA stalked from the room muttering, "Crazy fool..."

"What the hell are you doing here! How did you find my house? Who is that guy?" Murdock walked into the apartment and turned a quick about face. He crossed his arms over his chest and puffed it out. His T-shirt had 'SECURITY' printed in majic-marker block letters on it. An walkman earbud was stuck in one ear, the wire trailing under the collar of his jacket. He lowered dark glasses over his face.

"He is a friend. We are here to protect you." He lifted his chin and looked arrogantly down his nose. Dropping into a deep bass he said, "Damsel, we are your knights."

"That doesn't tell me how you found my house."

"We have our ways." She frowned at him. "All right, Face convinced the desk nurse to let him look at some files. Your record check has this address on it. And really, 'creating a public nuisance' what is that?" He tutted at her.

"It was a peaceful protest. They were going to cut down those trees for no good reason... Don't distract me. You shouldn't be here! You could get in trouble, I could get in trouble."

"I thought you were in trouble. The real kind." That stopped her.

"So, what do you propose we do about it?"

"First some information. Give me the facts ma'am, just the facts." She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Like I said, I charged these guys, they went to jail, now they're out."

"Who exactly are they? What happened?" Murdock busied himself with a notebook and pencil stub. He looked down.

"They were hunters. They were hunting on the farm. I asked them to leave. They refused."

"And thats when they attacked you." "Thats when they picked me up, locked me in their car and attacked me."

"Attacked how?" He looked at her, closely. "Just, attacked." She looked back, her face tense and anxious. "They were crazy." She closed her eyes for a second drawing a breath, "I mean, they weren't quite rational. They..." she looked at him sadly, "...they served. We all know that affects people. Different ways."

Murdock straightened up. He narrowed his eyes. "They were vets." She nodded. "That might change things." Lifting his eyes to look over her shoulder Murdock addressed BA who was standing in the doorway. "We may be dealing with men who have seen combat big guy."

"May be we should get Hannibal and Face in on this." Murdock nodded. BA asked for the phone.

Hannibal heard someone fumbling with the lock. He looked through the window at the side and saw the plain faced woman he recognized from the VA. She was dressed a little more professionally this time, but nothing fancy. Face opened the door and smiled as she entered. "Welcome home honey."

She pursed her lips in response. "You too?"

"At your service." Face bowed, she scowled. Hannibal smiled, she really appeared immune to his charms. "Y'know, if you popped a couple of those buttons, that shirt would look really good on you." he called after her as she walked into the living room

"In that sexy librarian kind of way."

"I thought BA wanted to put bars on the windows." "Not part of the plan." Hannibal said, he reached out a hand to shake with her, "I didn't introduce myself at the VA, Colonel Smith, but call me Hannibal." She took his hand and wrinkled her nose.

"I don't like smoking in my house." "Gee, thats too bad." He took two deliberate puffs on his cigar. She didn't complain this time.

"I understand there is a plan."

"You betcha. The old bait and switch. A classic." He felt the jazz rising. A small job, and no money at all, but that was all the more reason to have some fun.

"I'm the bait?" she asked.

He nodded, "And Face is the switch."

"What! You didn't tell me that. Why me?"

"You're the shortest."

"BA is shortest." All eyes turned to look at the broad, bearded man. "Right, so I'm the switch."

"We get the guys in here, then we deal with them. I want them in a contained space, no witnesses and no police. Thats why no bars. We _want_ them to get in."

"What do I do?" she asked.

"Just what you always do. Nothing to attract suspicion, no changes. We stay here, lay low, then, surprise." Hannibal gestured with his cigar. "It'll be a tight fit, and we'll need to get some more groceries." He looked pointedly at BA. "Is there another way out?"

Murdock walked in from the back. "There's a hallway here, it leads to a little patio. Not much more than a fire exit. There's an ally over the fence."

"There's a window in the bathroom, but its tiny. The entrance is shared, but the outer door has a busted lock." said Face.

"You guys have this place scoped."

"You betcha kid." Hannibal grinned, they were all on the jazz now. "Face, go and get food, any other supplies we need. BA, make sure the door is hard to get into, but not impossible. Buy us some warning time. Murdock, watch the back. I'm going to look the neighbourhood over, figure out just how often those cops are going to cruise by." Hannibal went to the bathroom to apply a mustache and adjust his eyebrow colour.

"Get some milk man." BA ordered to Face before turning to the door.

"We will need more toilet paper too." The woman added as Face strode out the back and hopped the low fence.

"What now?" she turned to Murdock.

"We hold position, keep a low profile." In the mirror, Hannibal watches him glide to her side and pulled towards a corner of the room. His voice low as he could make it "Avoid windows and doors." He touched a finger to his fake earpiece, his head swayed from side to side searching. "Stay down." He guided her toward the couch, "Maybe take a nap." She didn't object and lay down with her arm over her eyes. "I brought your book, just in case."

She smiled. "Read chapter seven, its my favourite."

_The Willow-Wren was twittering his thin little song, hidden himself in the dark selvedge of the river bank._

Glad to see Murdock able to help out, Hannibal put on a worn tweed hat and long, stained trench coat. He slouched, transformed into a common-place, unnoticeable old man and walked out the door.


	4. Chapter 4

"Its worth it BA because its good to have a friend on the inside of the VA. Getting Murdock out is harder and harder each time." Face's voice was soothing as he tried to reassure the scowling man. Hannibal agreed, it did seem ridiculous to be spending so much time and effort for one, non-paying customer. It would be better if that customer lived in a better apartment. Or a bigger one anyway. Only 36 hours after digging in everyone's nerves were wearing thin. Face spent the night on the floor. BA had claimed the couch and nobody was willing to fight him for it. The woman had insisted that Hannibal take the bed and he had not argued. She and Murdock slept in camping bags at opposite ends of the hallway to the back door. Murdock at the end next to the outside. They were still there, Murdock snoring softly.

"Don't need that crazy fool around anyway." BA complained. "Crazy man belongs in the crazy house."

"You don't mean that BA." Face said. BA's response was just a snort.

"We're doing it because Murdock could use a friend on the inside." Hannibal said. He hated leaving his man behind in that place. It felt too close to abandoning him. Too much like a prison. Funny how keeping Murdock on the inside was the only way for the A-Team to have a man on the outside. "And we're doing it because if these guys are vets and they are behaving this way, then we need to do something about it." He took his cigar out to examine the tip. "Because we deal with our own."

Thats when the pounding started. "Positions!" Hannibal called. He ran to the hall and woke the woman. Murdock helped her up and they ran to the front of the house.

BA was already hidden, Hannibal crouched beside the door, low and around the corner. Murdock ducked behind the kitchen counter. Face threw on his long brown wig, grimacing. The pounding continued.

"Open up Bitch or we knock this door down!" a voice called from the hall.

Looking around Hannibal located the woman standing, eyes wide in the middle of the room. Face took her hand and led her to the bedroom door. "Remember, just talk to them until they get in, then go in and shut the door.", he said. They will see me and come in and then we start." He looked over his shoulder at the vibrating door.

"Call to them, let them know you're here. We want them to come in." Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.

He shook her. "Do it!" he whispered urgently.

"Get away..." she said, her voice thin and too quiet.

"Louder." he urged.

"Go away." she shouted louder. "Leave me alone!" Hannibal watched silently as Face backed away from her. Her face was red now, her features contorted in anger. "GO AWAY." she screamed at the door.

Face turned into position, his back to the door, long wig replicating the woman's brown hair. He wore one of her shirts. With his back to them Face looked terrifyingly vulnerable. Defenseless even. The woman slammed her bedroom door shut and he was left alone. The door jam finally gave away and the men burst in. His shoulders rose tensed, like he was waiting for a blow.

Hannibal pulled the cord that lay in front of the entrance and the first man tripped and fell. His first companion stumbled, but stayed upright. Hannibal could hear another man outside in the foyer but he couldn't see him.

Both men in the house were big. They dressed in denim and leather and big, ugly boots. The second man stepped over his friend and raised a fist to strike at Face in the wig. From the closet BA burst out and with a running tackle drove him into the opposite wall. Face spun around and raised his fists. The man on the ground was up now and swinging at the smaller man, still mistaking him for the woman he cursed, "I'll teach you bitch, just wait till I get you on the ground." The man looked shocked when what he thought was a terrified woman lashed out with a left jab that caught him on the cheek. Face followed with a right upper cut that sent his opponent reeling.

Hannibal spun around to face the third man in the doorway. He jumped back as a bat swung up through the threshold. Silently he cursed and wished for a gun. No guns he had said, guns will bring the cops. He was backed against the wall to the kitchen now and the second swing caught him in the arm as he shielded his head.

With a bonsai scream, Murdock leapt from the kitchen and landed on the man's chest. He wrapped his legs and arms around his torso and shoulders. Unable to raise his bat the man dropped it and clawed at the smaller man's jacket. Hannibal jabbed at the adversary's kidneys with his good left arm. Muffled shouts of pain came from inside of Murdock's embrace.

Behind him, Hannibal could hear BA exchanging blows with his man. A lamp smashed. The drapes ripped and the rod crashed to the couch.

"Take that sucker." BA hissed and snapped one last shot as his man sagged to the ground.

Murdock released his hold and stumbled away. Hannibal lifted the dropped baseball bat and, unable to swing in tight quarters, he jabbed the end into the other's solar plexus. The man dropped gasping.

Grunts from the ground turned attention to the last man, kneeling on Face pinning his arms and raising an elbow preparing for another punch. The wig had slipped down over one eye. Face's lip was split and the visible eye swelled shut.

From above something moved and swung down. A dull, wet thump. The attacker slumped onto Face and rolled to the side.

Legs spread, hands wrapped on the barrel like one a club, the woman stood, raising her .22 to take another blow with the stock. Hannibal reached out and stopped the gun before it could descend.

"He's out, its enough." She looked at him, eyes a bit wild. He took the gun and she backed away, into the room.

"Tie them up BA. Murdock, give me a hand with Face." Together they lifted Face up and moved him to the couch. Hannibal went to the bathroom and ran water on a cloth. Murdock rolled the drapes and used them as a pillow.

"I'm okay, its alright." Face mumbled thickly. He waved his hand trying to push away their attentions.

"Let me decide that Lieutenant." Hannibal said quietly. Though ugly, the damage did look superficial. Too bad it was his face, the man's scrounging activities were going to be curtailed for a while.

"They're all trussed up. Like the pigs they are." BA said from he hall.

"Take their pants off big guy." Smiling, BA complied. "Will you be okay kid?" Hannibal asked Face. He nodded. "Come with me then Murdock." They disappeared into the kitchen for a moment.

Coming out Hannibal addressed the conscious men tied up on the floor. "I understand you are veterans. That you served in 'nam. Well so did we. I know it was hell there and that coming home wasn't much more fun. But, nothing," he removed his cigar for emphasis, "nothing justifies your actions." The men looked back, arrogant and unmoved. "Of course, if my little lecture doesn't make you repent, we can always remove the source of the problem. Murdock, do you have the equipment?"

"Well, Colonel, all I could find was this old bread knife and a pair of scissors..." he grinned manically, "..the scissors would go quicker," he worked the scissors dramatically, "but I think the knife would be more fun." The men began to squirm now, begging to be let go. Murdock leaned in, widening his grin. His hair was wild, his eyes fixed and staring. "We just need to get these tighty-whiteys off so I can get access." The man closest crossed his legs and tried to lean away.

"Now, now, Captain, lets give them a chance to repent. Right gentleman - and I use that term loosely - you would like a chance to repent." They nodded enthusiastically and agreed. "And you will promise to leave this lady alone." They nodded again, "And in fact you will leave treat all ladies you meet with chivalrous care and respect." The men looked at him confused.

"That means be real nice to them." said Murdock. They nodded.

"Alright, BA, untie them and let them go." BA roughly pulled the men to their feet and began to untie their feet and hands. The two conscious ones supported their sagging companion and limped out to the street. The sight of the men trying to find cover while scrambling about in their underwear was very enjoyable. "I love it when a plan comes together." he said.

"H, your going to miss occupational therapy. Something wrong." she peeked around the open door to his room. It was great to see her smiling, he smiled back.

"I do not have time for your petty meaningless activities." He spun around, adjusting his beret and gesturing broadly with a paint brush. "I am engaged in making ART!" His french accent was thick and oily.

"I see, looks fantastic." "Perhaps ze lady would like to sit for a portrait?" He leered. "Of course, all the great works are done in the nude."

"Umm, maybe later." "Ze lady does have a certain, je ne sais quoi." He was pleased to see her alert and cheerful, "Le sleeping is going well?"

"Yes, le sleeping is going well." she laughed.

"Then there will be no more reading?" he tilted his head.

"That depends," she reached into her pocket and pulled out a book, "how do you feel about _Peter and Wendy_?"

"Je t'aime Peter beaucoup." He took the book eagerly and flipped through the pages. It was a well worn paperback copy.

"Later then monsieur."

"Later." he answered.


End file.
